Just as the city’s casino industry has been making a rebound after eight years of revenue declines, Atlantic City’s main casino union has called for a strike authorization vote among members as contract negotiations begin with four city casinos.
Union workers from Caesars Atlantic City, Harrah’s Resort, Bally’s Atlantic City and Tropicana Atlantic City will vote June 16 on whether to authorize a strike.
If approved, negotiating committees for each of those properties can call a strike at any time. However, the authorization does not mean the union will call a strike at a property, just that it has the authority. Last year union voters authorized a strike at the Trump Taj Mahal, for example, but none was ever called.
The union, however, is negotiating new contracts with several city casinos, and the call for a vote does indicate they expect problems reaching agreements.
“Local 54’s contract committee made the decision today to schedule a strike authorization vote on June 16,” union President Bob McDevitt said in a press release. “The utter disrespect these Wall Street companies have shown to casino workers in Atlantic City is nearing a breaking point. We sacrificed for these companies when times were lean; we will not be told to sit in place now that they are making money again.”
The union last went on strike in 2004, when about 10,000 workers left jobs at seven Atlantic City casinos for more than a month, according to the Press of Atlantic City. Local 54 represents about 9,600 bartenders, servers and other hospitality workers.
